Green light for European Club Forum

UEFA and Europe's major clubs have agreed to launch a European Club Forum to discuss and decide on issues of mutual interest within the European club game.

Summer inauguration
European football's governing body and representatives from more than 40 major clubs decided to introduce the forum at a two-day meeting of the UEFA Club Panel at UEFA's headquarters in Nyon, Switzerland. The inaugural meeting of the forum is due to take place this summer.

Consultation and dialogue
The forum, which will replace the Club Panel, will comprise approximately 102 clubs representing UEFA's 52 member associations on the basis of the European club competition access list, and is designed to reinforce and improve the consultation and dialogue process between UEFA and clubs across the continent.

Vital role
UEFA signalled its intention to launch a club forum earlier this year, in recognition of the vital role played by Europe's clubs within European football's ever-changing environment.

Eleven-member board
The forum will meet at least twice a year, and an eleven-member board will be set up, comprising representatives of the clubs, with some members having seats on the UEFA Club Competitions Committee.

Historic moment
"We have witnessed a historic moment with the creation of the European club forum," said the director of UEFA's Professional Football and Marketing division, Lars-Christer-Olsson.

Important step
"It is important to create this interaction between UEFA and the clubs participating in the European competitions, and to make it work," he added. "This is an important step forward in European football."

Wide spectrum
The club forum will deal with matters covering the wide spectrum of the European game including, among other things, competition formats, marketing and rights strategies, and developments and partnership opportunities within the field of new communications.